North Charleston, S.C., Sept. 12, 2023 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) -- Water Mission, a Christian engineering nonprofit, is responding to the earthquake that occurred late Friday night in Marrakech, Morocco. Water Mission is deploying a Disaster Assistance Response Team to assist with emergency safe water, sanitation, and hygiene needs in the region. The magnitude 6.8 earthquake is the largest earthquake to hit the North African country in 120 years and caused substantial devastation to infrastructure including homes, buildings, and roads. Search and rescue operations continue for people trapped under the rubble. At this time, an estimated 2,900 people have lost their lives and thousands more have been injured. The death toll continues to rise as many affected areas are in remote mountainous villages in the region surrounding the city of Marrakech.
“The need for emergency safe water access in the immediate days after a disaster is critical for survival and helping to prevent the spread of waterborne diseases,” said Water Mission CEO and President George C. Greene IV, PE. “Water Mission’s Disaster Assistance Response Team brings the expertise and equipment needed to provide immediate access to safe water for thousands of internally displaced people who have lost their homes.”
Sphere Standards stipulate the minimum volume of water required for drinking and domestic hygiene per household in a disaster is two gallons (7.5 liters) per person per day. Water Mission is actively working to coordinate efforts with local government authorities and other aid organizations in Morocco to exceed these disaster relief standards.
Water Mission has more than 20 years of experience responding to natural disasters and humanitarian crises with immediate and long-term safe water solutions. For example, Water Mission responded to the earthquakes in Turkey, flooding in Pakistan, the cholera outbreak in Malawi, and an ongoing response in Ukraine in the last year. Water Mission’s global operations have served more than 8 million people since 2001.
Click here to learn more about our disaster response following the catastrophic earthquake.
About Water Mission
Water Mission is a Christian engineering nonprofit that builds sustainable safe water solutions for people in developing countries, refugee camps, and disaster areas. Since 2001, Water Mission has served more than 8 million people in 60 countries, sharing safe water and the message of God’s love. Water Mission’s global headquarters is in North Charleston, SC, and the organization has more than 400 staff members based in Africa; Asia; North, South, and Central America; and the Caribbean. Charity Navigator has awarded Water Mission its top four-star rating 15 years in a row, a distinction shared by less than 1% of the charities rated by the organization. To learn more, visit watermission.org, Facebook, LinkedIn, Instagram, YouTube, or Twitter.
Water Mission Contact: Gregg Dinino
Director, Public Relations
Water Mission
M. +1.843.805.2097
gdinino@watermission.org
